Small Automakers See Big Gains in October Sales

NEW YORK – A handful of automakers reported Tuesday that their U.S. sales increased in October from a year ago, but the final tally won't be in for another day.

October sales are expected to come in slightly below 1 million vehicles, hitting around 12 million on a seasonally adjusted annual sales rate. Sales in October were uneven, coming in strong some days and really weak on others.

Election day split the reporting of auto sales, with the larger automakers, including Ford Motor Co. and General Motors, expected to come out with their numbers Wednesday.

Hyundai Motor America, the largest automaker to report Tuesday, said its U.S. sales rose 38 percent last month to 42,656 vehicles from 31,005 the previous year.The gain was led by sales of the Sonata, which totaled 17,505. That was more than double a year ago. The automaker introduced turbo and hybrid versions of the model.

Kia Motors America said its sales increased 39 percent to 31,199 vehicles, while the BMW Group said it saw a gain of 13 percent to 23,222 vehicles.

Subaru's sales rose by a quarter to 22,720 vehicles, boosted by sales for its Outback, Forester and Legacy Sedan models. And Volkswagen's Jetta pushed the company sales up 18 percent in October to 20,084 autos.

Smaller automakers Porsche Cars North America Inc. and Suzuki Auto also booked gains in October sales.